“Wicked” is part of the 2013-2014 season of the Willis Broadway Series. Tickets for “Wicked” are now sale at the Civic Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations, charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000 and online at www.desmoinesperformingarts.org. Groups of 15 or more should call (515) 246-2340.

Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One – born with emerald-green skin — is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. “Wicked” tells the story of their remarkable odyssey and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

“Wicked” is based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards. It is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

“Wicked” has “cast quite a spell” (Washington Post) throughout North America, breaking box office records in every city that it has played, including Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Boston.

“Wicked” has been declared “A Cultural Phenomenon” by Variety and “The Best Musical of the Decade” by Entertainment Weekly. There are currently seven productions worldwide: New York, London, Holland, Japan, Australia/New Zealand, and two concurrent North American tours. Globally, “Wicked” has amassed more than $3 billion in ticket sales and has been seen by more than 37 million people worldwide in its nine-year history.